Mauricio Pochettino believes that Nicolas Jackson can become one of the stars of the Premier League.
The Senegalese striker scored his first Chelsea goal in Friday’s 3-0 win against Luton Town to cap a promising start to life in England.
Having signed for £32million in June, Jackson looks set to be a key part of Pochettino’s Stamford Bridge revolution.
The former Tottenham boss was full of praise for his new forward following the Luton victory.
He said: ‘We knew Nicolas Jackson’s quality when we signed him, we saw that before. It is not that we ask him to run and press the ball, he is quality in the way he recovers the ball, but he also can finish.
Nicolas Jackson scored his first Chelsea goal in his side’s 3-0 win against Luton Town
Mauricio Pochettino believes his new striker can become a Premier League great
‘It is only a matter of time, once he settles into the Premier League, he will show it more. Nicolas Jackson has top quality. I have no doubt that he can become one of the greatest strikers in the Premier League.’
Having helped Harry Kane become one of the world’s best attackers during their time together at Spurs, the Argentine is well-versed in developing premium strikers.
Jackson showed glimpses of his quality in Chelsea’s first two games of the season against Liverpool and West Ham, and will surely feel more settled after finding the net for the first time in Chelsea blue.
Former Stamford Bridge favourite Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink felt Pochettino’s suggestion the 22-year-old is destined to be a star was ambitious but admitted he has also been impressed by what he has seen of Jackson so far.
He told Sky Sports: ‘Wooh it’s a big statement! Mauricio must know something. He sees him every day in training and sees how much work he puts in and how he is in his drills and stuff.
Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink felt Pochettino was making a ‘big statement’ with his appraisal of Jackson
‘Look he has got potential. Today in the second half he had it difficult; too many turn overs for me. But he took his goal absolutely magnificently. He’s at the right place and that is where I want to see him more – at the heart of the box in the middle of the goal and making movements from there.
‘It’s such a good goal that gets deflected (the cross) and he is in the right place and he puts it away really well.’
Raheem Sterling, who scored twice in the win against Luton, revealed Pochettino has also played an important role in his good start to the season.
With a win under his belt and his attacking players now in good form, the new Chelsea boss will be feeling his Stamford Bridge reign has now begun in earnest.